Meters For All

melbury

Surely the fairest way with regard to water bills is for everyone to be metered. After all you pay for your gas and electricity based on how much you use, so it seems the logical way to go.

I am metered but my neighbours are not and although we all pay about the same charge per year, they use probably six times more water than I do. I am constantly battling to keep my water bill down and, due to being metered, I am very aware of not wasting water. My neighbours, however, both of whom have children, leave sprinklers on all night and both say that they wouldn't want to be metered: the attitude seems to be "I have paid for it so I'll use as much as I like."

I am sure the water companies would be much better off if everyone did just pay for what they use!

carol_a_3

The problem with this is leaks. You don't get electricity "leaks" added to your bill, you'd soon know if you had a gas leak but water could be trickling away under your property adding to your bill. This is what puts a lot of people (including me) off having a meter. I'm in the opposite scenario though. I'm paying a fortune for water (£648) this year just for three of us and I'm always very careful what I use but I'm scared of getting a meter in case it's even worse.

Cardew

Fairness is a valid argument but playing the ‘Devil’s Advocate’ I would suggest that the comparison with gas and electricity is questionable.

For Gas/Electricity companies there are the ‘overheads’ to consider(infrastructure maintenance, wages, profits, etc) plus the cost of buying the gas/electricity.

Water companies have the same ‘overheads’ to consider but they do not pay for the water.

I do appreciate that is a simplistic argument but the principle is valid.

The reason water companies have paid scant attention to the massive leaks in their supply pipes is that fixing them is costly, and the leaks cost nothing; much of the water eventually gets into the water table.

melbury

Whilst I agree that the water itself basically costs nothing, it does have to be treated etc etc and it is a commodity that is so taken for granted and therefore wasted.

I used to live in Australia and was there during a drought. When you turned the tap on what came out was basically brown and dirty because the river was so low - believe me you didn't fancy bathing in it, let alone drinking it! If that happened in this country there would be an outcry blaming the water companies, but really people just expect to turn on the tap and have nice clean water appear. As we know, in some parts of the country it is already in short supply. Not only do we have a tremendous population drawing on it, but of course nowadays we all bathe/shower more, use washing machines and dishwashers more, wash cars more etc etc etc.

On the subject of leaks, these can easily be tested for by taking a meter reading when you go out for the day and then another one when you get back, or, even better, when you go away on holiday.

I am sure that there are plenty of people out there who are careful, but there are just as many who really don't give a damn and as long the water is there they will use as much as they want to.

deanos

carol_a wrote:

The problem with this is leaks. You don't get electricity "leaks" added to your bill, you'd soon know if you had a gas leak but water could be trickling away under your property adding to your bill. This is what puts a lot of people (including me) off having a meter. I'm in the opposite scenario though. I'm paying a fortune for water (£648) this year just for three of us and I'm always very careful what I use but I'm scared of getting a meter in case it's even worse.

If you have a leak you wont pay for it you get it back if on a meter, they do this by taking 2 reading 7 days apart and working out your average use (after leak has been fixed!) and get a rebate

robnye

deanos wrote:

If you have a leak you wont pay for it you get it back if on a meter, they do this by taking 2 reading 7 days apart and working out your average use (after leak has been fixed!) and get a rebate

i understood, that if the leak was between the meter and your house, then the problem/cost to rectify is yours,

Cardew

robnye wrote:

i understood, that if the leak was between the meter and your house, then the problem/cost to rectify is yours,

Agreed.

That is certainly spelt out in the literature on water meters produced by most(all?) of the water companies.

deanos

Nope not at all i can only speak for Anglian Water but if you have a leak you get one free repair on the pipe after that you pay for repair but you never ever pay for water lost either way and im pretty sure all water companys wont expect you to pay for water lost following a leak

http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/assets/COP_SECTION_6.pdf